Extreme Ways
by Linkin-Phoenix
Summary: A Challenge leads to a moment of epiphany between two close friends... R


**Author's Note: Welcome to my new story, Extreme Ways, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Linkin-Phoenix doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or the song Extreme Ways by Moby.**

**Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence. If this offends you do not read on.**

**Prologue: Light at End, Darkness Begins**

A flame flicked at the end of a large empty room, a tall man shrouded in darkness stood in front of a mirror slipping a cloak over his shoulders. He glanced at a picture of a spiky tri-coloured haired man and frowned, "It's time." He said putting the hood over his head, shrouding his face in shadow.

It was Friday afternoon in Domino Japan, Yuugi Mutou and his friends Anzu Masaki, Katsuya Jyoonouchi and Honda Hiroto were celebrating the end of school at the downtown arcade. Yuugi and Jyoonouchi were making fools of themselves on Dance, Dance Revolution as Honda and Anzu cheered them on laughing. After the game ended the gang returned to their table.

Anzu smiled, "Who wants to take me on?"

Yuugi, Jyoonouchi and Honda shook their heads vigorously, "No way Anzu, it's not a fair contest against you."

Anzu sighed, "You guys are no fun."

As the three boys chuckled a loud commotion drew their attention, a large hooded man stood in the entrance of the arcade looking around. The manager approached him, "Sir, could you…" The manager began, suddenly the hooded man reached out, his large hand wrapping around the manager's face, without warning threw him into a nearby game. The manager slumped into unconsciousness with a trickle of blood dripping from the back of his head. The hooded man walked through the parting crowd, given a wide berth by all patrons. Anzu placed a hand on Yuugi's shoulders as the hooded man approached them.

He pointed, "Yuugi Mutou, I challenge you to a duel!"

Jou laughed, "Hold on there tall, dark and hideous, I'm Jyoonouchi Katsuya, Yuugi's best friend, and you are not going to duel him before…"

Jyoonouchi never got to finish his sentence as the hooded man hit him across the face, Jyoonouchi fell to the ground hard, Yuugi and Anzu rushed to his side as Honda growled angrily.

"Bastard!" Jyoonouchi yelled leaping up.

"Jou, no!" Yuugi yelled grabbing onto Jyoonouchi's shirt, "If he wants a duel against me, he'll get one."

Anzu looked apprehensive, "Are you sure Yuugi?"

Yuugi nodded, "I'm sure." He stood facing the hooded man, "Let's go."

Yuugi took out his deck and was about to set up his duelling mat when the hooded man raised a hand, "We play by my rules." He said throwing Yuugi an unusual duel disk, a small device was attached above the duel disk life point indicator; Yuugi raised an eyebrow, "What's that thing?"

"You will discover, in due time."

Anzu looked even more apprehensive, "Yuugi…"

He smiled at her, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Anzu nodded, "I hope you're right…" She whispered Honda looked from Jyoonouchi to Anzu, "Do you think Yuugi can win without the Pharaoh?"

Anzu sighed and Jyoonouchi shook his head, "I don't know Honda, I, think so."

Yuugi frown at the hooded man, "Let's get on with this."

Yuugi saw a thin lipped smile from under the hood, "Very well, you go first."

Yugi nodded and slid the duel disk on his arm exhaling slowly, the life point indicator lit up with crimson numbers, Yuugi frowned his stomach churning. Everything in his body told him this was wrong, but he'd been challenged, and Yuugi needed to prove especially to Anzu, that he could protect her, without the Pharaoh.

**Yuugi Mutou Life Points: 8000**

**??? Life Points: 8000**

**::Yuugi::**

"I draw;

1. I summon Skilled Dark Magician **(Dark/Spellcaster/Effect/4 ATK/1900 DEF/1700)** in attack mode;

2. I play two cards face down and end my turn."

"I draw;

1. I summon Darkfire Soldier #2 **(Fire/Pyro/4 ATK/1700 DEF/1100) **in attack mode;

2. I play two cards face down and end my turn."

**::Yuugi::**

Yuugi frowned, the bad feeling continued to grow, "I draw;

1. I summon Kings Knight **(Light/Warrior/Effect/4 ATK/1600 DEF/1400)** in attack mode;

2. I add Wicked-Breaking Flamberge – Baou **(Equip/Spell)** by discarding a card from my hand to increase Kings Knight attack five hundred points (**ATK/2100**);

3. Now Skilled Dark Magician attack Darkfire Soldier #2;

4. Kings Knights ATTACK!"

Skilled Dark Magician's attack destroyed Darkfire Soldier #2; Kings Knight's attack inflicted **2100** points of direct damage to the opponent.

**Yuugi Mutou LP: 8000**

**??? LP: 5700**

The Kings Knight attack slashed across the torso of the large hooded man, the cloak had been cut open, blood seeped from the wound, soaking the cloak. Yuugi gasped as Anzu recoiled, "That is not cool…"

The hooded man smiled, "I will take my turn now."

Yuugi shook his head, "No, something's wrong here."

"Oh no Yuugi Mutou, it's going quite well." He whispered excitedly.

"I draw;

1. I play Molten Destruction **(Field/Spell)**;

2. I also play Incandescent Ordeal **(Ritual/Spell)**;

3. And sacrifice Fushi No Tori **(Fire/Winged Beast/Spirit/4 ATK/1200 DEF/0)**;

4. And Firebird **(Fire/Winged/Beast/Effect/4 ATK/1000 DEF/800)** to the graveyard;

5. To summon Legendary Flame Lord **(Fire/Spellcaster/Effect/Ritual/7 ATK/2400 DEF/2000)** in attack mode;

6. I also summon Great Angus **(Fire/Beast/4 ATK/1800 DEF/600)** in attack mode;

7. Now by removing Firebird from my graveyard I can special summon Inferno **(Fire/Pyro/Effect/4 ATK/1100 DEF/1900)** in attack mode;

8. I add Salamandra **(Equip/Spell) **to increase Inferno's attack seven hundred points (**ATK/1800**);

9. Molten Destruction's effect activates increasing the attack of my Fire monsters 500 points and decreases their defence four hundred points;

10. Legendary Flame Lord (**ATK/2900**);

11. Great Angus (**ATK/2300**);

12. Inferno (**ATK/2300**);

13. Great Angus attack Kings Knight;

14. Inferno attack Skilled Dark Magician;

15. Legendary Flame Lord ATTACK!!"

Great Angus's attack destroyed King's Knight; Inferno's attack destroyed Skilled Dark Magician; Inferno's effect activates inflicting **1500** points of direct damage to the opponent; Legendary Flame Lord's attack inflicted **2900** points of direct damage to the opponent.

**??? LP: 5700**

**Yuugi Mutou LP: 3000**

Inferno's flaming body rose around Yuugi, he screamed in intense pain as he was burned alive. Legendary Flame Lord's strike knocked Yuugi off his feet doing a barrel roll to end up sprawled in front of his friends. Small drops of blood left his mouth as pieces of burnt clothing fell from Yuugi's body, he sat up slowly grasping his chest hunched over. Anzu knelt down beside him, the fear and concern clear in her eyes, "Yuugi, don't continue, forfeit, please…"

Yuugi felt Anzu's soft hand intertwining with his, Yuugi shook his head and let go of her hand rising to his feet slowly swaying slightly, his hand still grasping his chest. The hooded man smirked, "Do you enjoy the pain little Yuugi?"

Yuugi frowned, "No, I don't, let's get on with this."

**::Yuugi::**

The hooded man smirked as Yuugi drew a card, "I draw;

1. I play Pot of Greed **(Spell)** to draw two cards into my hand;

2. I summon Silent Magician LV4 **(Light/Spellcaster/Effect/4 ATK/1000 DEF/1000)** in attack mode;

3. Now Card Destruction **(Spell)** to discard all the cards in our hands to the graveyard then draw new cards into our hands;

4. Since you had four cards in your hand my Silent Magician's attack increases (**ATK/3000**);

5. Now I play Chaos – Black Magic Ritual **(Ritual/Spell)** and send Dark Magician of Chaos **(Dark/Spellcaster/Effect/8 ATK/2800 DEF/2600)**;

6. To summon Magician of Black Chaos **(Dark/Spellcaster/Ritual/8 ATK/2800 DEF/2600)** in attack mode;

7. I send Kings Knight and Skilled Dark Magician to the graveyard to summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of Beginning **(Light/Warrior/Effect/8 ATK/3000 DEF/2500)** in attack mode;

8. Magician of Black Chaos attack Inferno;

9. Silent Magician LV4 attack Great Angus;

10. Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of Beginning attack Legendary Flame Lord;

11. Using Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of Beginning's effect I can attack again!"

Magician of Black Chaos's attack destroyed Inferno; Silent Magician LV4's attack destroyed Great Angus; Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of Beginning's attacks destroyed Legendary Flame Lord and inflicted 3000 points of direct damage to the opponent.

**Yuugi Mutou LP: 3000**

**??? LP: 200**

The Black Luster Soldier's attack ripped the hooded man's robe, blood trickled freely from the wound soaking the robe. The hooded man hacked a cough spewing blood from his mouth washing down his chin.

Yuugi's hands shook as his stomach churned, his hands stung from the burns Inferno had inflicted. Yuugi couldn't be sure, but the blow from the Legendary Flame Lord may have caused some internal bleeding, the metallic tang of blood present in his mouth.

The hooded man straightened his robe torn almost to shreds, his pale skin strongly contrasted by the crimson blood, "I draw;

1. I play Monster Reborn **(Spell)** to summon Great Angus back to the field in attack mode;

2. Change of Heart **(Spell)** allows me to take control of your Silent Magician LV4 (**ATK/3500**);

3. I attach Lightening Blade **(Equip/Spell)** to Silent Magician LV4 to increase its attack eight hundred points (**ATK/4300**);

4. Silent Magician LV4 attack Magician of Black Chaos;

5. For my final move I sacrifice Silent LV4 and Great Angus to summon my strongest monster Ultimate Obedient Fiend **(Fire/Fiend/Effect/8 ATK/3500 DEF/3000)** in attack mode;

6. I end my turn with two cards face down."

Silent Magician LV4's attack destroyed Magician of Black Chaos.

**Yuugi Mutou LP: 1500**

**??? LP: 200**

The hooded man smiled, "I believe you're about to win this battle Yuugi."

Yuugi nodded, "That's the way it seems."

He chuckled, "So, you're prepared to kill me?"

Yuugi stopped cold, "Wha-what are you talking about?"

The hooded man smirked, "When my life points reach zero the final blow will kill me, in accordance with the rules of the match."

Jou frowned, "What kind of duellist would make rules like that?"

He smirked, "They are rules of Duel Pancration, the true way of Duel Monsters."

Yuugi growled, "No! Duel Monsters is about fun and competition, not about injury and death. I refuse to continue if it means either one of us will be hurt further, I forfeit!" Yuugi yelled placing his hand over his deck.

Anzu nodded with relief, "Good boy Yuugi."

The hooded man started laughing, "I should have mentioned, if you forfeit, you die!"

Yuugi recoiled as the Ultimate Obedient Fiend reared, launching itself at him. The group yelled for him to move, but Yuugi stood rooted to the spot as the fiend launched a flaming fist at him, it slammed into him so hard there was an audible sound of breaking bones. Yuugi slammed into the ground, his body bouncing and skidding towards his friends.

Anzu screamed rushing to Yuugi's side, Jou and Honda followed, Anzu's hands shook as she turned Yuugi over. His chest was compressed from the blow, blood flowed freely from his mouth.

Yuugi laid on the ground the life slowly draining from his body. His life flashed before his eyes as everything darkened. He smiled feeling his head resting in Anzu's lap, he didn't mind dying if the last thing he saw was her tender face.

Yuugi smiled, "Anzu… I'm sorry.. I love… I lo… yo…" Yuugi's voice faded, Anzu's grip on Yuugi tightened hearing the death rattle exhale from his body, the light in his eyes dying out.

Tears fell from Anzu's eyes onto Yuugi's lifeless face, "Yuugi…"

**The End**


End file.
